Remember the garden of Eden—the sacred place where God and humans met and flourished together? When humans decided to ignore God’s instructions and live by their own understanding, they became tainted with death and could no longer occupy the sacred space. But God wants to be close to humans, so he gives Moses instructions to build the tabernacle—an Eden-like space full of cherubim, gold, and paradise-like decor—to invite people back into a holy space with him.
But when the people rebelled and ignored Yahweh’s instructions, Moses, their representative, was unable to enter the holy tent of meeting. So what now? How will the people access God’s presence?
In the opening chapters of Leviticus, Yahweh offers forgiveness, setting up a way for humans to atone, or cover for, the corruption that keeps them outside God’s presence. God calls out to Moses from inside the tent (Lev. 1:1) and gives the law—a specific way of living, thinking, and trusting—to repair the rift in the relationship. Yahweh also outlines a system of sacrifice and atonement so that humans can once again enter into God’s presence.
In Leviticus, we see Yahweh making a way for his people to return to him, despite their tendency to choose corruption and human wisdom over the ways of Yahweh. This first movement also develops a pattern that we will see throughout the biblical story—the pattern of sacrifice and atonement. Let’s take a closer look.
